Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 13:09:11 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Kurt Schwarz Subject: Lesser BB Gull at Conowingo Dave Webb led a pack of high schoolers and myself on a frosty trip to Conowingo this morning. The highlight was an adult Lesser Black-Backed Gull perched on the wall. Great Black-Backed Gulls were in abundance, with fewer Herring Gulls. I didn't pay any attention to Ring-bills. According to Dave, gull numbers were not large, but it's certainly one of the larger ones I'VE seen. An adult Bald Eagle was also seen. Waterfowl included plenty of Common Mergansers, some on the water, lots flying by, 3 Buffleheads, and 3-4 Black Ducks. A walk along the shoreline trail produced the usual suspects: N. Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Golden-Crowned Kinglet, Dark-Eyed Junco, Cardinal Dave heard a Winter Wren, but I missed it. One wierd sight: A Great Blue Heron (there was about a dozen), flew off the first big island, and landed on the water next to a Great Black-Back, and swam briefly. It then snatched up a large fish and flew off. As far as I could tell, the GBB Gull did not have the fish at first, but had somehow overlooked it, allowing the GBH to snatch it and carry it off. The fish didn't look too lively, may have been dead. Dave then led us onto Aberdeen Proving Grounds, which has some pretty neat bayside!!!!, but everything was pretty much frozen. All we saw were a dozen Mute Swans, a lone Canada Goose, 2 Bald Eagles (1 adult, one not), and some distant what-might-have-been Common Mergansers. A Towhee was also heard and seen, but I can't recall what we call those critters nowadays, Eastern? I think my fingers are finally starting to thaw, now if only my brain would.... Kurt Schwarz HowCo goawaybird@comcast.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================